1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to battery cover assemblies and, more particularly, to a battery cover used in a portable electronic device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As power supplies, batteries are widely used in portable electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, and so on. A battery is generally removably mounted in a receptacle of a housing of an electronic device. The receptacle is generally covered by a battery cover. When the battery is damaged or cannot be recharged any more, the cover is removed from the housing, whereupon the battery can be taken out and replaced with a new one.
A latching mechanism is generally employed in a conventional battery cover, in order to engage with a housing of the portable electronic device. For example, a battery cover of an Alcatel® OT310 mobile phone includes a latching mechanism. The latching mechanism incorporates a pair of hooks arranged at a lower end of the battery cover and a locking pin arranged at an upper end of the battery cover. Correspondingly, a pair of slots is defined at a lower end of a back side of the housing, and a locking hole is defined at an upper end of the back side. In assembly, the hooks are inserted into the corresponding slots. Then, the battery cover is pressed downwardly such that the locking pins of the battery cover are inserted into the corresponding locking holes of the housing. The battery cover is thus assembled to the housing of the mobile phone. The battery cover is simple in structure, and the engagement between the battery cover and the housing of the mobile phone is secure. However, during disassembly of the cover from the housing of the mobile phone, the battery cover is liable to be damaged because great force, relatively speaking, has to be exerted on the battery cover to detach the battery cover from the housing of the mobile phone. As a result, it is inconvenient for a user to change a battery.
What is needed, therefore, is a new battery cover assembly for a portable electronic device which makes it convenient for a user to detach a battery cover of the battery cover assembly from a housing of the portable electronic device.